Health
The street food stalls in Shanghai have some delicious offerings and are a popular way of eating out. That said, it’s always a good idea to carefully choose where you go eat. When choosing a food stall to go to, just use your good judgement to see if the food preparation area appears clean and that there seems to be high turnover of the food/ingredients to ensure everything is fresh. It’s also smart to order freshly prepared dishes over food that has been sitting out. It’s also advisable that you don’t eat street food as your first meal of the day or on a completely empty stomach.
Tap water in Shanghai is not safe for drinking. It is generally fine for brushing your teeth. We suggest boiling your own water to clear it from bacteria for drinking, or purchasing in large quantities from the store.
When you Get Sick
It is not uncommon for students to get sick at some point while in Shanghai. Unfortunately it just goes with the traveling, change in environment, eating foods you may not be used to, lack of sleep, etc. We suggest you carry with you a couple of over the counter medications for stomach issues, vitamin C packets that you can put in a water bottle and maybe some cold medicine so you are prepared!
If you feel that you need to see a doctor, you should go to United Healthcare as this hospital is familiar with TEAN’s CISI insurance. The staff and doctors can speak English and are used to foreigners. Shanghai United Family Hospital is about a 30-40 minute taxi ride from the apartments and dorms. The taxi cost is about RMB80-90.
Shanghai United Family Hospital
1139 Xianxia Road, Changning District, Shanghai 200336
上海和睦家医院上海市长宁区仙霞路1139号 邮编:200336
Appointment Center: 400 639 3900
24-hour Emergency Hotline: +86 (21) 2216 3999
Phone: +86 (21) 2216 3900
Email: shuptservice@ufh.com.cn
For serious conditions call your TEAN Resident Director, Medusa. If you are unable to contact Medusa use the details on your contact card to call other TEAN staff. But generally, for more serious ailments Medusa can arrange to take you to the hospital.